Harry Potter and the Gift of Medaldus
by QuillsNInk24
Summary: Okay, here's my sixth year! I'm back, I've been swamped with schoolwork, but the story continues! Harry's on his way back to Hogwarts w loads of questions. By the way, things are about to get a LOT darker...
1. Penny Poppington

The characters and background of original ideas of this series is from the mind of and owned by J.K. Rowling. However, this particular take off, or spin if you will, is owned and copy written by me (© L.E.A., 2003).  
  
Chapter 1 Penny Poppington  
  
It had been a sweltering summer in all of Britain, and the heat's oppressive presence had been cemented on nearly all of the residents of Privet Drive. Wilted grass carpeted the perfectly square front yards of all the identical homes lining the street. The various shades of grass were an indicator of who lived where. Soggy, faded grass covered the lawns of those who tried desperately to hide the pitiful vitality of their landscaping with excessive watering. New seed was lay down upon the lawns of those trying to disguise the bald spots littering the grass, a small reminder of how merciless children at play were. And in front of Four, Privet Drive, the full body imprint of a sixteen year old boy decorated the lawn.  
On this day, the creator of this imprint was stretched out upon it, looking up at the endlessly bright sky. The Boy Who Lived was savoring a moment of quiet, a rare thing for him at the Dursley household. It had been nearly three whole months since he had left Hogwarts, and Harry Potter was just as eager to return as he had been the day he left. It wasn't as though he was eager to get back to the loads of parchment he received in History of Magic, or that he was excited to start on a new year of Potions (far from it, actually). He just needed something distracting to preoccupy his mind. The freedom of the summer did have its costs.  
He rolled over onto his left side, trying to displace the hunger he felt deep in his belly. It would have been easy to go upstairs and grab a Jumping Frog from his trunk, but such action was a threat to the peace and quiet. He glanced over at the long shadow that was cast on the lawn next door. His first thought was of Lord Voldemort, whom he had once more thwarted in his efforts of domination, this time by destroying the record of the prophecy that intertwined their fates. Voldemort had been on Harry's mind all summer. The thought that Voldemort was out there, gaining more follower again, being aided by his faithful Death Eaters, threatened his peace of mind everyday. The Daily Prophet, which he now received daily, thanks in part to Mad-Eye Moody's threats against Uncle Vernon, had no news of Voldemort's true whereabouts. There had even been a section in the newspaper where people could report suspected-sightings. Harry knew that was basically a joke. The only people who had any idea as to Voldemort's location were positioned at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and belonged to the Order of the Phoenix.  
Harry closed his eyes for a mere moment when a shrill cry erupted into the air.  
"Where is that boy? How is it that he manages to sneak off right when there's work to be done? When I find him I'll-"  
Aunt Petunia need not say any more. Harry had already arisen at the sound of her voice and made his way into the living room.  
"I'm right here, Aunt Petunia," Harry said, trying to stifle a yawn.  
"Where have you been? Lollying off I suppose. Why are the ungrateful ones so lazy as well? Continually a disgrace."  
Harry, who had grown several inches and was thus several inches taller than his aunt looked down at her. "There's no doubt that you'll try and work it out of me now, is there?"  
His aunt made a sound that resembled a stifled snort. She handed him the vacuum cleaner, and a bottle of ammonia. "Get to work, "she said disdainfully. "We have a guest coming for dinner."  
"Really!" Harry said his voice full of sarcastic excitement. "Who's the lucky caller today?"  
"Penelope Poppington, so don't do anything rash or vile. That means no, well, you know what that means." Aunt Petunia's face lit up for a short moment. "It's so fitting that my little Duddykins is such a lady's man. Penny is the perfect match for him." Aunt Petunia's gaze focused in on Harry. "So don't you go and screw it up then."  
It took all of Harry's energy not to grown. Penny Poppington was his cousin Dudley's girlfriend. It had been an amazing revelation that Dudley had even found a girlfriend. Thicker than an elephant and not nearly as smart, Dudley was not exactly what Harry thought girls went for. Dudley was burly and beefy from the wrestling that he partook in, but still remained at medium height, making him perennially resemble something short of a beach ball. Harry didn't understand who could actually be attracted to Dudley. That is, until he first saw Penny Poppington.  
Firstly, Penny was a female version of Dudley, from almost any aspect. She had the same dirty blond hair, pudgy, smashed face and hefty body. The ground practically vibrated when she walked. She had a small group of girls she hung around with, all smaller, and they were all willing to cackle stupidly when she did something Penny felt was amusing or when she wished them to do her bidding.  
Secondly, Penny acted just like Dudley. She was known in the local academy for slugging, punching, kicking, bullying and despising anyone she felt was "due for it". She ate like a bear, devouring lunch after lunch belonging to her victims. And she was spoiled beyond belief by her rich parents. So Harry was not looking forward to dinner at all, and later that night, the feeling had not lifted after the first, second or third courses of dinner.  
So far Penny had been wise enough not to ask Harry anything. That did not last long.  
"Mrs. Dursley, you are a splendid chef," Penny said between mouthfuls of food. She glanced over at Harry. "I bet you take things like your aunt's hospitality for granted, don't you, Harry?"  
Aunt Petunia was practically beaming with her rabbit-teeth smile. "Please Penny, call me Petunia."  
Penny smiled artificially and continued.  
"Dudley has told me quite a bit about you Harry. You're an orphan, and your parents went and killed themselves in some dreadful accident. You are incredibly violent and strange, so you have no friends, which is fitting. And you happen to look as though a cat dragged you out of the trash, untidy and unkempt as you are. I don't understand why Petunia and Vernon have taken care of you."  
Harry could tell her exactly why he was left in the care of the Dursley every summer, but he didn't want to risk giving Aunt Petunia a heart attack. At least, not at that very moment.  
Harry stabbed at the remaining bit of chicken on his plate. "You must have me all figured out then, Penny," Harry said through clenched teeth.  
That fat smile stayed on Penny's face. "I pride myself on knowing everything."  
"Do you?" Harry asked. It was an open invitation, but Uncle Vernon changed the subject.  
"Do you play any sports Harry?" Penny asked, after a long discussion of how well Dudley had done in his last match. "She eyed him carefully. "Well, I suppose not, you haven't got meat enough to hold you against an opponent in anything."  
Harry was tempted to tell her that he had faced an opponent far more dangerous than any she could have imagined, and that his lanky figure had stood up to him multiple times, but he knew that would simply anger his aunt and uncle.  
"No I don't play-". Harry's mouth curved into a deceptive smile. "Actually, at my school, I do play a sport. Everyone in my school plays it. It's called Fittest. "  
"And how does that work Harry?" his Uncle Vernon asked, his eyes darting nervously between his wife, son and his nephew.  
"Well, we all gather in on a pitch and basically tackle each other, but the objective is to injure anyone in anyway you can. Braking bones is effective, but some people kick, bite or use weapons. It's rather enthralling, and only about 10 people die a year."  
Dudley looked at his corpulent girlfriend. "Penny, um, why don't you just ignore him? He's disturbed, he doesn't know what-".  
"Harry, where do you attend school?" Penny finally asked, after a long, gaping silence.  
"St. Brutus's School for Criminally Incurable Boys." Harry said, smiling saccharinely around the table, just as Penny had done.  
Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to utter a word, but stopped when everyone heard the distinct sound of an owl hooting. Harry looked down at the watch that he had found amongst Dudley's discarded belongings.  
"Well, look at the time!" Harry gathered his table settings and put them in the sink. "I've got terrible summer reading to finish. Nice seeing you again Penny." Before anyone could object, Harry had climbed the stairs into his new room, the attic space.  
There before him sat a brown barn owl with a letter tied to itself leg. As the barn owl and Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, chatted animatedly, Harry untied the letter from the owl's leg. It took a bit of Hedwig's water, gave a dignified, content hoot and flew out of the open window. Harry watched the owl fade into the sunset before looking down at the letter.  
It was from Sirius.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The Converselope  
  
Harry was virtually knocked off of his feet. He shakily reached backwards and grabbed his bed. Sinking into the covers, the feelings inside of him descended in a similar manner.  
Harry's godfather had been the greatest joy in his life. To finally have family, to have someone with whom he belonged, had been the greatest comfort in the world. Despite never knowing where he was, Harry could always get an owl to and from Sirius, a word of advice or encouragement.  
But now Sirius was dead, killed by his vile cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry was left an orphan once more, and now with burdens of the nightmares of Sirius's death. The dreams played over in his head like a horror film: Sirius's expressionless, lifeless body falling off of the dais, never to be seen again, Bellatrix's hysterical laughter, the anger fueling inside of him, and faintly in the distance, Voldemort's cackle and his mother's cry.  
And this is why Harry tried to preoccupy himself around the clock  
And that is why Sirius's letter remained unopened in Harry's hands.  
The thoughts of Sirius were so overwhelming to Harry. There had been no goodbye, no final discourse between the two. Harry honestly felt like crying for the first time in his life, but he knew that it would be no use.  
And so, rather than open the letter, he tossed it aside and lay down.  
"Open me please."  
Harry bolted up from the bed.  
"Who said that?" He whispered, looking frantically around the room.  
"Oh me, sir, but please, do unfold me!" the voice pleaded.  
Harry thought he was really going insane, which many people had insinuated over the years. "I don't see you. Where are you hiding?"  
"Sir, I'm the letter on the edge of the bed!"  
Harry reached over to grab the letter gently. Sure enough, a small, pleasant face was on the envelope, smiling gratefully.  
"I take it you are Mr. Harry Potter of the attic space, Four Privet Drive?"  
"Yes," Harry replied, still baffled. "Um, er, excuse me, but why are you talking to me if you're an envelope?"  
  
"Converselope," the face corrected. "My kind is special, we can learn, perceive, and attain any type of knowledge. That's how I learned to speak. But most importantly, I hold special information that only my addressee can understand."  
The face's eyes widened seriously.  
"There's a voice message for you inside."  
Harry was fascinated. And confused.  
"But Sirius couldn't have sent you," Harry said, forcing himself to swallow. "Sirius isn't-"  
"I was sent by Remus Lupin," the envelope supplied. "Converselopes are never actually sent by those who write them. We can only be sent by a mid-man, as Remus Lupin served to do, and only interpreted by the addresseed, Mr. Harry Potter."  
"How long have you been holding my message?" Harry asked.  
"I was recorded nearly a year and a half ago, and I have been sitting on the desk of Remus Lupin for the past year. He's taught me all I know." The converselope smiled proudly. "Did you know he's a werewolf? Great, fascinating man indeed."  
Harry was slowly piercing the puzzle together.  
"So only Sirius, Remus and I can understand you when you speak, but only I can understand the message inside?"  
"Correct. I'm a normal looking, indestructible, unopenable envelope to anyone else.  
"So after I open you, what happens?"  
"Well," the converselope said still smiling as brightly as ever, "if you keep me, I'll hold the message until you die, so you can hear it as many times as you wish. I can only vanish if you die or you wish me to die. Then I just crumple up and disintegrate.  
Harry was a bit overwhelmed, but happy nonetheless. At least he could talk to something now, even if it was just an envelope.  
"You look just as Remus said you would. Both he and Sirius spoke fondly of you."  
Harry placed the envelope on his pillow and sat across from it. "What did they say about me?" He asked.  
The converselope's eyes darted back and forth, looking at the pillow.  
"This is quite comfortable," it said. "You call these...pillows, am I correct?"  
"Yes."  
The converselope grinned broadly. "Splendid things. Anyhow, they said you'd be a quiet, lanky, tall boy with black messy hair and bright green eyes that belonged to Lily, your mother. Your hair was your father, James's."  
Harry was baffled at this point, but growing used to the idea of an envelope knowing so much.  
"Sirius said you were fun, brave, and \daring like your father, but Remus said you had gotten a lot of sense from your mother. Oh yes, and that I shouldn't worry if you get upset with me. You'd get upset a lot."  
Harry snorted at the last comment but then grinned. "You've made me feel tons better. Lets have a look inside you."  
The converselope squealed with glee. "Here we go!" 


	2. The Converselope

Chapter 2  
  
The Converselope  
  
Harry was virtually knocked off of his feet. He shakily reached backwards and grabbed his bed. Sinking into the covers, the feelings inside of him descended in a similar manner.  
Harry's godfather had been the greatest joy in his life. To finally have family, to have someone with whom he belonged, had been the greatest comfort in the world. Despite never knowing where he was, Harry could always get an owl to and from Sirius, a word of advice or encouragement.  
But now Sirius was dead, killed by his vile cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry was left an orphan once more, and now with burdens of the nightmares of Sirius's death. The dreams played over in his head like a horror film: Sirius's expressionless, lifeless body falling off of the dais, never to be seen again, Bellatrix's hysterical laughter, the anger fueling inside of him, and faintly in the distance, Voldemort's cackle and his mother's cry.  
And this is why Harry tried to preoccupy himself around the clock.  
And that is why Sirius's letter remained unopened in Harry's hands.  
The thoughts of Sirius were so overwhelming to Harry. There had been no goodbye, no final discourse between the two. Harry felt like crying for the first time in his life, but he knew that it would be no use.  
And so, rather than open the letter, he tossed it aside and lay down.  
"Open me please."  
Harry bolted up from the bed.  
"Who said that?" He whispered, looking frantically around the room.  
"Oh me, sir, but please, do unfold me!" the voice pleaded.  
Harry thought he was really going insane, which many people had insinuated over the years. "I don't see you. Where are you hiding?"  
"Sir, I'm the letter on the edge of the bed!"  
Harry reached over to grab the letter gently. Sure enough, a small, pleasant face was on the envelope, smiling gratefully.  
"I take it you are Mr. Harry Potter of the attic space, Four Privet Drive?"  
"Yes," Harry replied, still baffled. "Um, er, excuse me, but why are you talking to me if you're an envelope?"  
  
"Converselope," the face corrected. "My kind is special, we can learn, perceive, and attain any type of knowledge. That's how I learned to speak. But most importantly, I hold special information that only my addressee can understand."  
The face's eyes widened seriously.  
"There's a message for you inside."  
Harry was fascinated. And confused.  
"But Sirius couldn't have sent you," Harry said, forcing himself to swallow. "Sirius isn't-"  
"I was sent by Remus Lupin," the envelope supplied. "Converselopes are never actually sent by those who write them. We can only be sent by a mid-man, as Remus Lupin served to do, and only interpreted by the addressee, Mr. Harry Potter."  
"How long have you been holding my message?" Harry asked.  
"I was recorded nearly a year ago, and I have been sitting on the desk of Remus Lupin for the past six months. He's taught me all I know." The converselope smiled proudly. "Did you know he's a werewolf? Great, fascinating man indeed."  
Harry was slowly piercing the puzzle together.  
"So only Sirius, Remus and I can understand you when you speak, but only I can understand the message inside?"  
"Correct. I'm a normal looking, indestructible envelope that simply won't open to anyone else."  
"So after I open you, what happens?"  
"Well," the converselope said still smiling as brightly as ever, "if you keep me, I'll hold the message until you die, so you can hear it as many times as you wish. I can only vanish if you die or you wish my message never to be head again. Then I just crumple up and disintegrate."  
Harry was a bit put off by the Converselope's steady joyfulness in reference to his demise, but Harry was happy nonetheless. At least he could hear a voice other than the Dursleys'.  
"You look just as Remus said you would. Both he and Sirius spoke fondly of you."  
Harry placed the envelope on his pillow and sat across from it. "What did they say about me?" He asked.  
The converselope's eyes darted back and forth, looking at the pillow.  
"This is quite comfortable," it said. "You call these...pillows, am I correct?"  
"Yes."  
The converselope grinned broadly. "Splendid things. Anyhow, they said you'd be a quiet, lanky, tall boy with black messy hair and bright green eyes that belonged to Lily, your mother. Your hair was your father, James's."  
Harry was baffled at this point, but growing used to the idea of an envelope knowing so much.  
"Sirius said you were fun, brave, and daring like your father, but Remus said you had gotten a lot of sense from your mother. Oh yes, and that I shouldn't worry if you get upset with me. You'd get upset a lot."  
Harry snorted at the last comment but then grinned. "You've made me feel tons better. Let's have a look inside you."  
The converselope squealed with glee. "Oh, please do!" 


	3. Sirius's Message

Chapter 3  
  
Sirius's Message  
  
The folds of the envelope sprang open with surprising force, and instantly the room was filled with a glowing golden light. It seemed as though the entire space was frozen within the sparkling halo.  
And then the room changed. The golden light that filtered through the room condensed, swirling closer and closer together until the particles took the shape of a head.  
Sirius.  
"Hello Harry," the perfect likeness began. Harry was awestruck to say the least. A lump became caught in his throat.  
"Sirius, I, er, your-"  
"I imagine you have many questions, but I am sad to say I cannot answer them all. I am sure the converselope told you that this is a recorded message. This is only a likeness of me, a recording as well. So don't expect a response to your questions.  
"You're probably wondering why I would send a converselope. Firstly, because traditionally, a converselope is what people use to send important information in case of death. So, unfortunately, I'm no longer with you. Secondly, converselopes are the safest way to record information. Scrolls and parchment can be read, no matter how powerful a charm is put on the document. Converselopes hold information on the inside and outside, but most importantly, they limit the amount of people who can understand the information. Only four people know this converselope even exists: I, the writer, Remus, the handler, you, the recipient, and the postmaster, who sells and sends so many of these that I doubt he can remember anything about them.  
"So to summarize, converselopes are sent when you want to give people information that no one else can know."  
Harry remained silent as he listened, simultaneously absorbing and analyzing the information.  
Sirius's image sighed heavily. "There are certain things that you need to know.  
"Firstly, Twelve Grimmauld Place belongs to you now. Though it is headquarters of the order, as you know, when Voldemort is defeated and the order disbands, the house is yours to keep-" Sirius smiled bitterly- "though if I were you, I'd either sell it or burn it."  
"But what about your family's things-"  
"All the possessions of the house can be disposed of," Sirius continued. "But," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "you might find some items of interest in my bedroom, a lot of things I've collect over the years.  
"My money in Gringotts has been divided amongst several people, including you. Don't try to object, because Remus has already taken care of it. Everything I leave you, feel free to do what you please with it. I trust you."  
At Sirius's last words, Harry smiled. That was true indeed. His godfather had always trusted him. And Harry had always trusted Sirius. In fact, Sirius had really been one of the few people in Harry's life who had always trusted him, for better or worse. It was a comforting, but fleeting thought.  
"Now, for the most important business," Sirius said, far more seriously than before. "About this war.  
"The Order is effective, but not nearly enough as is needed. To be quire honest, Harry, things are not looking particularly good for us. The number of Death Eaters will increase. The old fear will settle in, and people will follow. Despite what you may be told, Voldemort's following will grow as largely as before, if not larger. And we can only hope that our numbers will increase as steadily.  
"Times are getting darker, Harry. People you thought you knew will become completely different, perhaps they will betray you. We have told you before to keep a vigilant eye, to be aware. You must do so now more than ever. This is a war, Harry. There will be casualties, injuries, and your emotions will kick in. The only way you will survive it all is to keep a level head. You are used to caring for yourself, but now you'll have to step up as well. There are burdens we cannot lift, pasts we cannot delete, and destinies we may want to avoid, but the biggest part of being adult is knowing that we must acknowledge what we known, embrace it even, and continue on.  
"There is something else. No matter what you may feel, no matter how angry they may make you at times, do not distance yourself from Ron and Hermione. You will come to depend on them far more than you do now, and trust me, they will never let you down. But on that note, you must remember to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. In times like these, as odd as it sounds, your enemies could turn out to be your closest allies."  
Harry was concentrating hard, letting every sound of Sirius's voice sink in. He had counted on his godfather for advice, and these last pieces were surely lasting words.  
"I hope that I've been able to tell you more about your parents up until this point, Harry. Regardless, there are several trunks in my room that will give you a glance of what they were like and how life was at that time. I hope you'll enjoy them, as we enjoyed the times we had together.  
"Despite everything that's happened, remember Harry; when you are in doubt, follow your gut. My advice or anyone else's will only do so much. You have good intuition, it will lead you far. Maybe we'll see each other again, maybe not. But I'm always with you, and will be cheering you on to the end. I couldn't have asked for a better godson. I love you, Harry. Goodbye."  
The image dispersed into a million golden particles which floated back into the converselope. It sealed itself magically, and lay on the bed placidly, the face quiet and in a deep sleep. Harry simply watched it for a few moments.  
And then Remus Lupin stepped into the room. 


	4. The Most Unexpected Guest

Chapter 4  
  
The Most Unexpected Guest  
  
Harry was awestruck, to say the least. First the talking stationary, then the message of Sirius's sparkling image. And, of course, the arrival of one of his father's oldest friends.  
Remus Lupin looked surprisingly better than the last time Harry had seen him. That was, considering the fact that he was a werewolf. Harry knew that the full moon had just passed, which was the cause for Lupin's paler than usual complexion and the reason for his suken, hollow looking eyes. Despite this, he looked fuller than normal, as if he had managed to put on some weight. And he was wearing new robes of the darkest midnight blue. Occasionally a shooting star would travel from the hem of the garment all the way to the shoulder, and then fade away like a distant dream.  
"I'm glad to see that you're looking well, Harry," Lupin said, beaming. He and Harry exchanged a quick hug and stood back, taking in all of the changes that had occurred.  
"You've grown even taller than the last time I've seen you," Lupin said, scratching his head absentmindedly. "You're a spitting image of your father at your age."  
"You look as though some food is finally sticking to your bones," Harry said, grinning widely. "And the robes do suit you quite well."  
"Ha!" Lupin laughed, sitting down in the one chair in the room. "I've been devouring Molly's food for over a year. I swear, I've never been so anxious to be hungry before now. And the robes, well, Sirius demanded that I go out and buy some new ones. He said that no half-man should look so shabby for the rest of his life."  
At the mention of Sirius's name, the smiles on Lupin's and Harry's faces faded. "I take it you've received the Converselope," Lupin said, a bit more quietly.  
"I did," Harry replied. "Just a minute ago, actually."  
"Do you have any questions?"  
"Yes," Harry said, eying the letter ever so slightly. "Why did Sirius write it in the first place? He couldn't have predicted his death."  
Lupin sighed heavily. "No, I'm sure he didn't. Sirius always had an air of invincibility. He believed that nothing could touch him, and I'm sure the thought never even occurred to anyone else. Nonetheless, once Voldemort returned and the Order reconvened, everyone recorded Converselopes."  
"Does everyone in the Order make them?"  
"Yes. It's one of the more thoughtful measures Dumbledore has the Order take. Some people have only a few to do. Others have several, but hopefully, there won't have to be anymore sent out."  
Harry pondered this thought. He could only imagine how many Mr. and Mrs. Weasley must have. He shuddered at the thought. "How many did Sirius have?"  
"Four. Ones to you, I, Dumbledore, and, well, the fourth is actually the reason I'm here."  
Harry hadn't even asked why Lupin had come to him so early. After the excitement wore off, he realized that this was an odd visit indeed. Members of the Order weren't supposed to arrive to bring him to Headquarters until late next week. And the fact that the Dursleys hadn't made a noise was rather suspect as well.  
"Why are you here, Remus?" Harry asked.  
"We need you to be at Twelve Grimmauld Place to meet someone when they arrive."  
"Who's coming? And why do you need me to meet them?" Harry could sense the feelings of resentment building up inside of himself. "Why don't you just be honest with me and tell me what's going on," Harry said a bit too loudly. "This seems a bit too familiar. Didn't we go through this last year? Wasn't this how it all began? Didn't Dumbledore say that Sirius would be alive if I had JUST BEEN TOLD THE TRUTH FROM THE BEGINNING?"  
"Harry, believe me, if I knew more I would tell you. The only one who understands all of this-"  
"-is Dumbledore." Harry somehow felt that his reoccurring feelings were justified. It made perfect sense. "All right. Give me a moment to pack," Harry mumbled.  
"Here, let me do it," Lupin said, pulling out his wand.  
"Accio supplisis!" Lupin said forcefully. Immediately all of Harry's robes and clothing popped out of his armoire and into the open trunk at the end of his bed. All of his books, supplies and other items followed suit. The last items in were his Invisibility Cloak, the Marauders' Map and the melted magical knife Sirius had given to him. It was of no use now, but Harry could not bring himself to part with it. The all were wrapped within a heavy piece of black velvet, and they settle nicely in the top of his trunk. Harry threw in his supply list for school, the Converselope, along with other letters he had received from Hermione and Ron this summer, and what food he had left in his room. The trunk shut and locked with a small thunk and click. He got his Firebolt from a corner of the room and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Hedwig gave a small indignant hoot.  
"Is anyone else here?" Harry asked. The summer before, he had a small entourage accompany him to headquarters.  
At that moment there was a small pop and Tonks appeared next to him. She was sporting cotton candy pink hair in nearly foot long spikes.  
"I left them a message saying we have him. Nasty snore that Vernon Dursley has." Tonks beamed at Harry and took him into a great hug. "How are you doing, Harry?" she asked, releasing him.  
Harry couldn't help but smile. Tonks had a way of stealing attention, though it was unintended. Her appearance was something of a marvel.  
"I like the hair, Tonks. Very rock n' roll."  
"Rock n' what?" Tonks asked, looked befuddled.  
Harry grinned. "Never mind. So how are we getting there? Flying? Floo Powder? Apparation?"  
Lupin smiled. "Something a little more basic." He pointed to Harry's small desk. "Portkey." 


	5. Revelations

Thought I should recap: The characters and background of original ideas of this series is from the mind of and owned by J.K. Rowling. However, this particular take off, or spin if you will, is owned and copy written by me, as are any new characters and concepts I introduce(© L.E.A., 2003).  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Revelations  
Harry, Tonks and Lupin gathered all of the belongings and brought them near the desk. The house remained silent except for the creaking of the floorboards beneath them.  
"I'm surprised that Sleeping Spell worked so well," Tonks said, smiling proudly. "I had so much trouble with it in school."  
"I'm glad you got it right," Harry breathed. "Or else we would have had to use something stronger to silence those three."  
"All right," Lupin said. "Harry, you and I will use the Portkey to get there. Tonks will stay back to dismantle it, and then she'll Apparate right behind us. Ready?" Harry nodded. Lupin grabbed the trunk. "Hold on to Hedwig and the Firebolt." They waved goodbye to Tonks and touched the Portkey at the same time. As Tonks drifted from his view, Harry felt the pull from the pit of his stomach, and then a light, airy sensation as though he were weightless. He whirled in a space for a few seconds before he felt his feet plant firmly on the ground. He looked around at the familiar setting of the kitchen of Twelve Grimmauld Place. Lupin was standing next to him, dusting off his robes.  
"Harry!" exuberant voices yelled. He turned and saw his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley spring up from the table. Hermione wrapped him in a big hug while Ron clapped him excitedly on the back.  
"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you again," Hermione said, happy tears springing up in her eyes. "I just got here yesterday, and when Lupin found out he needed to get you tonight, we were so excited."  
Ron was equally enthusiastic. "Yah, mate, you've got to tell us everything that's happened to you this summer."  
Lupin disappeared upstairs and the three sat around the table for hours, sharing their respective summers. Hermione told Harry of the vacation she had taken to Spain to study the ancient rituals of Spanish wizards during the 16th century. Ron told them about his trip visiting Charlie in South Africa, Bill's continuing involvement with Fleur Delacour, and Fred and George's thriving joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which they were running while studying to join the Order. Ron even mentioned Percy, who was slowly reconciling with the family now that the Ministry had acknowledged Voldemort's return. And Harry made sure to tell them about Penny Poppington. He purposely left out the bit about the Converselope and his conversation with Lupin.  
"So what's the newest news?" Harry asked in a low voice.  
Ron's smiled waned. "Voldemort's following has grown. More purebloods are missing from their homes. There haven't been any deaths yet, which worries Dumbledore. So far, the Order's still gathering information but just waiting for him to make a move."  
"Why would it worry Dumbledore that no one has died yet?"  
"Apparently, when Voldemort was last in power, the massacre started early on," Hermione said, shuddering. "His goal was broad, so he went about killing just about anyone in his way. They knew what he was working towards, and knew that he was using any means to get there. But now, there's really been no movement from him directly. So either he has no specific goal, which is unlikely, or else he's planning for something so specific but so great that he'll get what he needs without having to cause a slaughter right away. We know that it's a weapon. And that's about it."  
All three were silent for a moment. And then Harry spoke.  
"So who is this visitor that I'm supposed to meet?" Harry asked them.  
"We're not quite sure," Hermione said, dropping her voice a level. "All we know is that Dumbledore is the brains behind the whole thing and that Snape went to France to retrieve her. They should be back soon."  
"Her?" Harry said incredulously.  
"Yes, her," Ron said. "And apparently she'll be staying awhile. Mum's upstairs tidying the room." By the way, Kingsley, Moody and Dad all say hello. They'll be back later. They've all been working late at the Ministry."  
"Do you think she's got something to do with Madame Maxine, or Fleur?" Harry asked. They're the only people I know who are French."  
"I doubt it," Ron said, shaking his head. "Madame Maxine is off with Hagrid in the Himalayas. They're trying to get more magical creatures on our side. And Fleur, well, believe me, if it had anything to do with her, Bill would have told us."  
The sound of people moving down the stairway startled the three. Moments later, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley appeared.  
"Harry, it's so good to see you!" They both said. "We fixed up a room for you upstairs. How's your summer been?"  
Harry repeated the tales of his lackluster summer for Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, though he didn't mind at all. They told him of theirs and when Ginny mentioned the number of owls she had received from Dean Thomas, Harry had to stifle a laugh when he glimpsed the face Ron made. The five continued talking softly, and soon Tonks came down and joined them. It wasn't until the sound of three voices speaking outside of the house that the group became quiet.  
"I'll get the trunk and cages."  
"Thank you, Severus. It's just this way, my dear."  
"It looks just as I remembered it, Professor."  
The heavy front door swung open and three figures stepped through the threshold. The first was a greasy-looking, hooked nosed wizard Harry immediately recognized as Snape. He was levitating a large, expensive- looking trunk behind him, as well as two cages, one holding a raven and the other holding a barn owl. The second person was Dumbledore, who was guiding the third person through the door. The third figure was draped in a long black cloak with a hood over its face. She put the hood down.  
Harry was taken aback.  
It was a young girl of about 16, long and thin and wearing a lavishly embroidered black robe. Her eyes were an electric blue that seemed to radiated heat and fire constantly. She had long limbs, a pert nose and curvy lips. Her skin was sun-kissed, not tan, but a shade darker than the pale complexions around her. Her most amazing feature though, was her hair.  
Long, straight strands of hair framed her demure oval- shaped face. The color of her hair appeared to be a mix of black and blond, like ebony and gold streaked through her hair. The streaks were thin and mixed, making her hair appear almost striped in the most subtle way. She pulled a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  
She was the most unusual looking girl that Harry had ever seen.  
And the most beautiful.  
"Hello Professors," Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny somehow managed to say.  
Snape gave a sneering "hello" and followed the levitating trunk and cages upstairs. Dumbledore smiled at the table of adults and his students.  
  
"I would ask you to prepare some tea, Molly," Dumbledore said, in his melodious voice. But before I do, I should introduce you to our guest. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Cordelia Lockwoode. Or perhaps, more officially Cordelia Black. Sirius's daughter." 


	6. Disbelief, Death and Disclosure

Chapter 6 Disbelief, Death, and Disclosure  
  
Harry was dumbstruck. He was sure that he had heard Dumbledore wrong. Sirius's daughter? That was impossible, totally implausible to Harry. He looked at the faces around the table. Ron's mouth was wide open, his eyes gaping as largely as his mouth. Hermione had furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief and was throwing sideways looks at Harry. Ginny's face held an expression similar to Hermione's. Tonks and Mrs. Weasley were silent, looking skeptically at Dumbledore. Lupin was the only one who didn't look confused. In fact, he was the only one who was moving.  
Lupin walked forward, keeping his eyes steadily on the new arrival. He stood about a foot from her.  
"It's good to actually see you, Cordelia," he said heartily.  
"You too, Remus," Cordelia replied softly. And then they hugged.  
"I don't believe it," Ron said, finally breaking the ice. "It's impossible. In fact, there's no way in hell-"  
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley screeched. "That is no way to speak in front of a guest! Although-"she shifted her gaze from Ron back to Dumbledore, "this will take one giant explanation to clarify."  
Dumbledore pulled a chair out for Cordelia but remained standing himself. He gave a small sigh and began.  
"I'm going to begin this, explanation as Molly called it, but Remus and Cordelia, do feel free to interrupt me if my information is not complete or if I take too many liberties. Actually, Remus, why don't you begin? You're probably the most well-informed."  
Lupin took a seat next to Cordelia and ran a hand through his sandy hair. He seemed quite pensive, digging through his memory before speaking.  
"When James, Lily, Sirius, and I were at Hogwarts, the houses were a lot friendlier with each other, relatively speaking. By this I mean that the other three houses actually talked to some people in Slytherin, though mind you, only some. And one of these few was Rellivia Lockwoode, or Livie, Cordelia's mother. Cordelia's mum got along pretty well with everyone, and she had a lot of friends. In fact-" Lupin looked directly at Harry- "-she was quite good friends with your mum."  
Harry simply nodded.  
"Anyhow," Lupin continued, "after we finished school, your mum and Cordelia's mum stayed good friends. Good enough friends to introduce Sirius to Livie more formally. And they hit it off right away. A few months after your parents got married, so did Sirius and Rellivia."  
"But why didn't anyone know?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "How is it possible that people knew James and Lily were married, but not Sirius and Rellivia?"  
"Good question," Lupin said, smiling. "Firstly, the only people present at the time were James and Lily, myself, Peter, and Sirius and Rellivia. And on their request, we didn't spread the good news. Secondly, Sirius didn't want his parents to know."  
"Why not?" Cordelia spoke, surprising the table. "Mum's family's all purebloods. Wouldn't my grandmother have been happy?"  
Lupin grinned bitterly. "No, she would have been thrilled. She probably would have added Sirius back into the family legacy. And there was nothing he wanted less than to make his mother happy by doing what she justified was right. He wanted the news to stay as far away from his family as possible. So their marriage was not common knowledge. What I do know is that Cordelia was born a month or so after Harry."  
Harry looked at Cordelia, who was looking back at him. He wondered if they had met before as babies, but he shook the thought away. Harry was sure that no matter how young he was, he would have remembered someone as unusual as Cordelia Lockwoode. Nevertheless, he willed himself to look away from her and pay attention to Remus.  
"Around the time that we became aware that Voldemort was coming after you and your parents, Harry, we immediately decided that Sirius should be secret keeper, and he decided that Rellivia and Cordelia should go into hiding. Dumbledore helped Sirius send Livie and Cordelia away, they went only god-knows-where and this is the first time I've seen Cordelia in nearly 15 years. I must say though, you've turned out to look exactly like your mother, except for the hair."  
Cordelia blushed. Harry thought the color in her cheeks suited her very well. He glanced around nervously, hoping that no one had caught him staring. Then he saw the cheeky grin on Ron's face. Had it been that obvious?  
"So what happened then?" Tonks egged on.  
"Well, after Sirius ended up in Azkaban, no one could find Rellivia or Cordelia. We hadn't heard anything. We knew they were alive, but just not where. Then we found out that they had settled in France. And that was that. With Sirius in jail, having thought he had done what we thought he had done, we figured that it was safe to leave them be."  
"Where had you been, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked gently.  
"Living in the Loire Valley," Cordelia replied in a melodious voice that traveled softly through the air. "I've been living with my grandmother in her home there since I was four. I started receiving letters from Remus about two years ago, and then my father began writing to me as well."  
Lupin gave a small smile. "Once Sirius had gone into hiding, he asked me to find Cordelia and Rellivia. I began writing to them, sending the owls to France, hoping that they would find them. Cordelia wrote back, and she had been corresponding with Sirius and me ever since."  
Cordelia nodded solemnly. "I couldn't even believe that my father had escaped at first. I had always heard my grandmother speak of him, but it was never that often, or, because of the circumstances, ever that positive. But once I got the letters from Remus, and I pieced things together from my mother's old journals, it all made sense. We had to do everything very carefully when we wrote. He always spoke very highly of you three though," she said, looking at Harry, Hermione and Ron. "And he spoke especially often of you, Harry. When he died"-she choked a little on the last word- "Dumbledore wrote me and told me what had happened. Then my grandmother died last month, and well, thanks to Dumbledore again, here I am."  
There was one obvious question left dangling in the air.  
"But where's your mother dear?" Tonks asked.  
Cordelia turned to Tonks, her mouth in an unnaturally cold, steely line. "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her since I was five."  
  
Hi! I know you probably have a ton of questions, and are wondering where exactly is this leading to, but just mill over the possible answers until you get to the next chapter...believe me, some chapters are fillers, but it'll all make sense soon enough! 


	7. A Million Questions Unanswered

Chapter 7  
  
A Million Questions Unanswered  
  
The second great shock of the evening.  
"What do you mean you haven't seen her?" Ron asked incredulously. "She didn't leave a letter, she doesn't owl you? Are you actually trying to tell me that your mother just randomly and utterly deserted you? Owww!" Ron added after a shift kick to the shins from Ginny.  
"Yes," Cordelia said rather curtly, raising a solitary eyebrow at Ron. "That is exactly what I'm telling you. Before, my mother and I traveled all over the world, to Asia, Africa, the Americas, the West Indies. And then we went to visit my grandmother in France. My mother tucked me into bed the night we got there, and when I woke up the next morning, she was gone. And I haven't seen my mother since she kissed me goodnight nearly 11 years ago."  
"You poor dear, that must have been horrible for you," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching out and patting Cordelia's hand gently.  
Cordelia gave a sincere smile. "My grandmother wasn't all that worried for some reason. She said people like my mum simply needed to roam, and she probably thought that I needed some kind of stable household. My grandfather died before I was born, so it had always been the two of us after my mum left. I went to Beauxbatons during the school year and we traveled during the summer. But then she died-" Cordelia choked on the word for the second time that night- "I didn't know what to do and the Department of Offspring Survellance-"  
"I've never heard of that department," Ginny cut in. "Where's that?"  
Cordelia smiled. "It's under the Department of Lineage. One of the things they do is keeping track of orphaned children. But anyhow, hey had come and told me that I had been accounted for. And then Professor Snape came for me, and we met Professor Dumbledore in Paris, and he told me that I'd be living here. So here I am, the first time in my family's home." The corners of her mouth tilted up pleasantly.  
"But-" Harry began and immediately stopped himself. He didn't need to proclaim that the house was his, yet.  
"But what?" Ron probed.  
"Well, aren't there certain complications with that idea, PROFESSOR?" He emphasized the last word harshly.  
"I know about the Order, Harry," Cordelia said, never missing a beat. She raised a thin, appraising eyebrow. "And I have no problem with allowing the Order to use my home as headquarters as long as it is needed."  
Harry stared back at Cordelia, his disbelief morphing into outrage. Sirius had left the house to him. The nerve of this girl, just suddenly appearing, claiming to be Sirius's daughter, walking right in and assuming the house was hers.  
"Actually, Sirius left the house to me," Harry said tersely. He found himself glaring at Cordelia.  
"You are both right."  
The table turned towards Lupin.  
"Sirius left the house to both of you," Lupin said, sensing the tension mounting between the two. "But he obviously didn't mention this to both of you. Or think that it would in anyway be a problem."  
"Well, I think that's a fine introduction for tonight!" Dumbledore said, springing to life. Snape was just coming down the stairs and was surveying the group with mild interest. Harry watched him swiftly move down a corridor to the right and disappear into a room.  
"You five are off to bed," Mrs. Weasley said. She hardened her glare. "And I do mean sleep. Ginny, please show Cordelia where she will be sleeping."  
Ginny and Cordelia went up, followed by Hermione who managed to whisper a "meet me on the landing" to Ron and Harry. The aforementioned boys turned to go upstairs as well.  
"Harry, could I have a word?" Remus asked. Dumbledore was beside him.  
"Yeah." Harry felt himself slip deeper into a crummy mood.  
They walked into a small room Harry had assumed was the Black family study. The bookshelves were filled to the brim with volumes of books. They all appeared to be of the Dark variety. Worn covers carried nasty titles, one of which, Effective Torture: Suitable Alternatives to Death, made him shiver. Harry sat down on the slightly faded black leather couch, which suspiciously began to shape to his form snugly.  
"Why didn't Sirius tell me!" Harry exploded. It seemed more like a statement than an expression. "How could he not mention that he had a wife, let alone a daughter? Either I'm daft or she's full of it!"  
Dumbledore sighed heavily. That was beginning to annoy Harry greatly.  
"That is a question that we cannot answer for you completely. We have no idea what his reasons really were.  
"But I can tell you this, Harry. In Azkaban, the dementors will feed off of every happy thought you have, no matter how fleeting. The ones that bring you the most joy they will devour right off. After prolonged exposure, sometimes your happiest thoughts are gone forever. That very well could have happened to Sirius."  
"It was hard for him, Harry," Lupin added. "He had loved Rellivia and Cordelia so much, and after a while with no contact from them even allowed, he just lost hope. And then the most terrible thoughts about them must have flooded his head, and to be honest, he probably tried to forget about them, and succeeded.  
"And then he was able to get to you, Harry, and you just became his main focus, since you needed him so much. So it was quite a shock to for him to find Cordelia again. And then it was two different people that he was trying to hold on to and look after.  
"To be perfectly honest, he just never got the time to sit down and tell you. It was something he felt he couldn't do with merely word from an owl. With Voldemort and the Tri-Wizard Tournament occupying your mind in your fourth year, and again, with Lord Voldemort in your mind last year, Sirius thought that you already had enough on your mind. And of course the Order reconvened as well. It's just so unfortunate that you had to find out this way. He wasn't trying to hide it from you at all."  
"Sure." It was a hollow reply. It was all that Harry could muster.  
"Another thing. Sirius had hoped that by leaving the house to the two of you, it might somehow foster a friendship-"  
"Friendship?" Harry laughed sarcastically. "She seems a little too impertinent."  
"Harry, people seem to be a lot of things," Remus pointed out. "Give her a chance. She is probably a little irritable from the journey."  
"Okay, I'll try," Harry said half-heartedly, rising from his seat and moving towards the door.  
"Harry, one more-"  
But he had already shut the door. Harry walked silently up the stairs, partially fuming, partially pondering.  
How could Sirius think that it was better not to tell him about his family? Why wouldn't he share something so important with him? Something that could affect his life so greatly?  
But then again, why would he have to tell you at all, a second voice in his head spoke. They were Sirius's family, not his. Anything he said about then was his business, and totally optional. Some things are a little too personal to share, and Harry could relate to that. In the end, it was just shocking to Harry. He felt a bit betrayed somehow.  
Harry glanced the clock on the wall. It read 12:30 AM. The portraits of Sirius's dark ancestors were sleeping soundly. Harry shivered when he passed the heads of house elves on the wall. He was surprised to see a plaque next to the youngest head.  
'Kreacher' it read. And that was it.  
"Served him right," Harry mumbled.  
He reached the landing where he had slept last year. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. A single message hung in the air, in loopy silvery writing that shone in the moonlight: 'They'll see you in the morning, dear,' it read. Harry walked through the misty writing and it instantly vaporized. Harry thought of knocking on Hermione's door, but thought better against it. As he put his hand on his own doorknob, he heard a sound from the door across from his. Harry walked over and put his ear against the door. He heard muffled crying. He was almost positive that it was Cordelia.  
Serves her right, came into his mind, and immediately he regretted the thought. Out of all people he knew exactly how she felt, feeling so alone and abandoned.  
Harry silently trudged into his room. Ron was sleeping fully-clothed on top of his own bed. He had been trying to stay up and wait for Harry, but had obviously failed.  
Harry threw on his pajamas and jumped into bed. His mind was heaping with various thoughts.  
First, it was of Sirius, who had failed to tell him something so important, which left him feeling betrayed.  
Then, there were Dumbledore and Remus, who seemed to know a lot more than they were letting on.  
And finally, Cordelia, who had never angered him more than any person, nor intrigued him more so.  
It was a while before Harry fell into a fitful sleep. 


	8. Dumbledore's Mistake

Chapter 8 Dumbledore's Mistake  
  
"I want to know where it is, Wormtail."  
Harry knew he was in some dark, tightly enclosed space. The walls were dripping with water that was falling rather sinisterly, like blood from a torn vein. The room had an eerie echo to it as well, one that made the voices vibrate with disturbing ferocity.  
"Yes, my Lord, I understand completely," a small, fretful voice squeaked. "I've tried so very hard to get it's location, but no one seems to know where it is. No animal either. I'll keep looking for it, my Lord, until you know all that you want." Harry immediately recognized the voice as Peter Pettigrew's, the man who had deceived all of his friends and caused the death of Harry's parents. So that must have meant that the cold, sneering drawl was coming from the mouth of Lord Voldemort. But then where was Harry?  
"I'm quite disappointed in you Wormtail," Harry felt himself say. Were the words really coming from his own lips? "But then again, this can only be expected. A man of your statue and standing can only do so much. Or should I say, so little. This means I'll have to employ the use of another of my servants. But this will be difficult for me. And so, you must suffer for the trouble this will cause for me."  
"Master, no, I-I-I beg of you please,"  
"Crucio!" Harry bellowed, pointing his wand at the man, and at once Wormtail was on the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry heard the cold, vicious laugh escape from his mouth. He didn't raise the wand for several minutes, and when he did, Wormtail was gasping for breath, heaving with streams of tears falling down his face.  
"Now listen to me Wormtail," Harry whispered softly, his voice a teasing, but deadly warning. "Do not tell me you will do tasks that you cannot complete. The next time, the punishment will be far more grave. I trust that you will learn from this experience, as you do from all the others. Now be gone, continue your work for me, gathering the information in whatever filthy-rat manner that you use."  
Harry awoke with his scar searing in pain. His scar had not hurt him at all this summer, and some how, the pain was worse than he had ever remembered before. He got up and went to the mirror to examine his scar. It seemed to him that it was glowing a charred, red color. Harry knew that he was seeing things from Lord Voldemort's mind again.  
Immediately Harry went out into the hall, his first thought being that he needed to find Dumbledore and tell him about the dream. After what had happened last year, it was deathly important that Dumbledore should know about this event, for he would now be sure to tell Harry everything he needed to know. Harry had just shut the door gently behind him when he heard a noise in coming from the room across the hall. Cordelia's room.  
Harry froze in his tracks. After a few moments, when he was sure that the door was not going to open, Harry approached it and put an ear to the wood. There was moaning coming from the room. He heard her thrash wildly against the pillow. Harry heard a sharp intake of breath and then there was silence. After a few moments, Harry heard Cordelia's even breathing.  
The reason behind Cordelia's restless sleep was lost to Harry. He put the thoughts in the back of his mind and continued down the stairs. Harry followed the voices down the corridor. They stopped right in the room Harry had seen Snape go into earlier. Harry saw that the door was open a crack. Rather than going in, he sat down outside the door and listened for a while. It seemed that a meeting of the Order was in session.  
"Are they aware that she's left?" Harry heard a voice say. He was almost positive that it was Mr. Weasley's.  
"I'm positive that they know, Arthur," Harry heard Dumbledore say heavily. "The chateau was ransacked. It's in utter ruin. It has to be reassembled and restored. The only thing left standing was the frame."  
"But why would they do it?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Why now, when they haven't been focused on her for nearly 11 years. It doesn't make sense to me. You think it would have been easier to do it years ago, rather than go after her when every witch and wizard in the world is on edge."  
"It would have been easier, Molly," Harry heard Kinglsey say. "But it wouldn't have been convenient. Madame Rousseau is dead now. It made Cordelia vulnerable, and we all know that Voldemort has a tendency to take advantage of the weakest of conditions. It was all about the right moment."  
Harry heard a step behind him and turned. Ron was standing there, he obviously woken from a restless sleep as well. Harry didn't know how long he had been standing there, and Harry and Ron looked at one another, but dared not to speak.  
"Why don't they just use MacNair?" Tonks asked. "Alastor and Darius Brown caught him, and Fudge puts him in custody to just let him sit? From what Arthur has told us, Fudge won't even let him be interrogated! The key to this great conundrum could be sitting in that damned cell and Fudge is too scared to use it!"  
"You're right, Tonks. He's still scared of being overthrown. He's afraid that if ANY information on the Death Eaters gets out, and the wizarding world doesn't like the action he takes, he'll be overthrown or removed from office. That's why he won't take any major action. And that's why he's been going to Albus for advice, which I must say, is the smartest thing he's ever done."  
"Even if he used MacNair, interrogating him would be of no use," Dumbledore said.  
"Why not?" Remus asked, turning to face him.  
"Because he'd be dead before he uttered the words," Snape interrupted, speaking for the first time. "Lord Voldemort has many different ways of keeping his various entanglements secret. Information as precious as this would be protected with a Betrayal Curse. So even if MacNair knew all that we need to know, which I doubt he does, not being one of the highestly held Death Eaters, I'm sure that he wouldn't have the chance to tell us anything."  
"How can you be so sure that the Consequence of the curse would be death? I'm sure there are worse things Voldemort could do," Remus said.  
"Oh, there are. But believe me," -Snape looked darkly around the table, his sneer showing a subtle hint of some other emotion, and spoke the next words softly- "there would be nothing else."  
The table was quiet for a long moment. Then a new voice spoke.  
"I still don't know if it's a good idea to have her anywhere around headquarters," Mad-Eye Moody said. "I think it would be better to get rid of the threat, rather than to harbor it."  
"Alastor! How could you say something like that! She's a sixteen year-old girl, and her grandmother just died." Mrs. Weasley looked at Mad- Eye as if he were demented.  
"I'm aware Molly. I'm just wondering exactly how aware each of you are."  
"Excuse me?" Mr. Weasley said, raising an eyebrow at Moody. "Just what are you getting at?"  
"All I'm saying," Moody replied, taking a long drink from his hip flask, "is that I for one, am against having someone who could so easily destroy our operation live under the roof of headquarters." Moody's magical eye rolled swiftly around in its socket and rested its gaze on the inside of the door, exactly opposite where Harry and Ron were sitting. Knowing that they'd been caught, Ron cursed silently and started heading up the stairs noiselessly. Harry had begun to follow until another voice spoke.  
"Why don't you just say what you're hinting at for wizard's sake," Mrs. Weasley said exasperatedly.  
"Oh you didn't know?" Moody savored the next words as he spoke them, as though they were some delectable morsel of news. "Cordelia's mum, Rellivia? We believe that she's a Death Eater."  
  
Authors Note: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading my little fanfic, I'm so happy you enjoy it! I didn't want to put too much out there in the beginning, but the answers to all of the questions that you left me are coming up very soon. And just to say, some of you may think Cordelia might ruin the good things going on between Harry, Ron and Hermione, but let me say, she's going to add to the story, and make things far more interesting. With that note, enjoy! 


	9. OWLS

Sorry everyone ! Bermuda was great though, and I have been working on the story. Read the end of chapter eight to refresh and here's nine. I hope you like it...and by the way, look for some teasers in the future!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
O.W.L.S.  
  
"You lie." It was all that Mrs. Weasley could say.  
"No, I'm afraid he doesn't," Dumbledore said. "Now it's not as though Rellivia just declared herself a Death Eater to the entire world. Heavens no, that's no how all of this came about. But from what we've gathered" -Dumbledore glanced fleetingly at Lupin and Snape- "and what Cordelia has told us, Rellivia had indeed joined Lord Voldemort's side."  
"What did Cordelia tell you?" Kingsley asked.  
"That her mother was a Death Eater," Dumbledore replied simply. "And from my correspondence with Madame Rousseau, she gathered about the same."  
"And the rest of the information?"  
Dumbledore merely looked at Snape.  
"But Dumbledore, why didn't you tell us before she came? So we might have a little awareness to the fact that we would be harboring-"  
"A lonely sixteen year-old girl," Dumbledore filled in. "She is no more a threat to you than I am, as far as I am concerned. What are parents do and feel is no reflection upon us. Sirius was a perfect example of such. And I do not believe that his daughter would be on Lord Voldemort's side merely because her mother, whom she hasn't seen in nearly a decade, was believed to be. We cannot judge the character of a man by the actions of his elders."  
"I agree," said Mr. Weasley. "There is no reason why we shouldn't trust Cordelia, or at the very least give her a chance. Besides, there was no way to completely confirm that Rellivia is a Death Eater. Nothing Severus or I have found can completely and undeniably support such."  
Every head around the table nodded, including a reluctant Moody.  
Harry was not as forgiving as the Order seemed to be. How could they trust Cordelia so easily when her mother was, well, what she was? What would make them assume that Cordelia had turned her back on the Dark World, and followed the path of the father she never knew, rather than the mother she had? Just from what he had gathered in his encounter last night, Harry was quite doubtful that Cordelia would be a great ally to the Order.  
Harry padded silently up the stair way. He paused for a minute before re-entering his bedroom.  
"Mum and Dad are unbelievable!" Ron said, obviously filled with excited anger. "They didn't even MENTION that fact that they caught any Death Eaters. But they got MacNair! I hope they get that sleezy git Malfoy next. I'd love to see the look on Draco's face when his father's being taken down by the Ministry!"  
"Forget them. They ought to worry about Cordelia being so close to headquarters and such."  
Ron looked at Harry curiously. "Why would you say that, Harry? You still don't believe her?"  
"They know her mum was a Death Eater."  
Ron's eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open. "Sirius married a Death Eater?" Ron whispered faintly.  
"I'm sure Sirius didn't know that at the time," Harry said quickly. "He never would have married her if he did. No wonder his mum would have been thrilled to know. Sirius married into another family of Dark wizards."  
"And to think, that's my cousin."  
"Distantly related, but yeah, I know what you mean."  
Ron shivered. "I'm never going to get to sleep with her staying across the hall."  
Harry pulled out his wand, but stopped himself short. "Right, no magic yet." He and Ron pulled his school trunk over and placed it in front of the door. Ron then placed a glass vase on the edge of the trunk.  
"What was that for?" Harry asked him.  
"Well, that's to wake us up if she tries to get in. The trunk's just to slow her down."  
"I'd still feel safer with a Sealant Charm."  
"Me too mate, but I don't want another letter from the Ministry. I learned my lesson from the car in second year."  
Harry and Ron climbed into their beds. "So what else do you think they're not telling us, Harry?" Ron asked after a long yawn.  
"I couldn't even begin to imagine, Ron." After a few moments of silence, Harry heard Ron's steady breathing. However, it took Harry much longer to put aside the questions swimming around in his head.  
  
~~~~~**~~**~~**~~~~~  
  
The next two days were quiet in Twelve Grimmauld Place. Harry and Ron told Hermione and Ginny all they had discovered first thing in the morning, right after the sounds of a Shrieking Vase and a shrieking Mrs. Weasley woke them up.  
"What in the world was that trunk in front of the door for? AND MAKE THAT VASE STOP SHRIEKING!"  
After placating the vase and mending it back together with Spell-o- Tape, the four discussed the recent developments of the night. Hermione and Ginny weren't so quick to side with Harry and Ron.  
"We don't know anything about her," Ginny said. "You cant just assume that she's on the Dark side because her mother is BELIEVED to be."  
"But it would make sense to assume such." Ron said, looking at his sister in disbelief.  
"No, Ron, it wouldn't," Hermione interrupted. "Firstly, she was raised by her grandmother, who as far as we know, was on our side. Secondly, she had been corresponding with Sirius and Lupin, both of which who would have gone to Dumbledore and informed him immediately. Thirdly, if Dumbledore trusts her, you don't even have the slightest reason not too. He would never purposely put our lives in danger."  
"Unless he's gone nutters," Ron mumbled. "And I think he has."  
The days were terribly uneventful. Members of the Order came in and out of the house, and Harry had the opportunity to meet several members he hadn't known. After breakfast, the days were usually composed of Quidditch games (Hermione wasn't great, but she was better than any of them anticipated), reading, completing summer reading and having discussions about the possible movements of the Dark side. Cordelia had shut herself up in her room, and could only be seen during mealtimes, in which she only spoke when spoken too. Ron and Harry definitely didn't make an effort to engage her in conversation. In fact, the only interesting thing that occurred happened four days before the beginning of the term.  
During breakfast, four owls swooped in the window and hovered overhead. They all bared post from Hogwarts. Each of the three sixth years grabbed the envelopes addressed to them and tore them open furiously. Harry began to read his letter:  
  
Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
The following are your results from your O.W.L. examinations. We hope that your results satisfy your expectations.  
  
History of Magic- Dreadful Transfiguration- Exceeds Expectations Charms- Acceptable Potions- Outstanding Care of Magical Creatures- Outstanding Divination- Dreadful Herbology- Exceeds Expectations Astronomy- Poor Defense Against the Dark Arts- Outstanding  
  
In accordance with your results, your suggested class placement is listed, as well as any other books you will need in addition to those on the list you have already received from your school. Congratulations and good luck.  
Best Wishes,  
Edwin Higleww  
Executive Director  
Registry of Standard Level Examinations  
Ministry of Magic  
  
"How'd I manage that?" Harry said aloud.  
"What did you get Harry?" Hermione and Ginny asked simultaneously. Both girls leaned over his shoulder. "Harry, that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. "Six O.W.L.S.? Well done!"  
The three of them looked at Ron, who was speechless.  
"What'd you get Ron?" Ginny asked, taking his letter. Her mouth turned up into a grin. "Mum!" She called. "Mum, come look at Ron's marks!"  
Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen. She took a look at Ron's letter and a similar grin spread across her face. "Oh Ron, your father will be so pleased, 5 O.W.L.S.!"  
Harry looked at Ron's letter. Ron had received an Outstanding in Care of Magical Creatures, Exceeds Expectations in Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Acceptable in Potions and Charms. The rest of Ron's marks matched Harry's. Hermione put her letter down on the table and Harry saw that she had received all Outstandings except for the Exceeds Expectations that she received in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy.  
"Cordelia, dear, how did you do?" Mrs. Weasley asked the one silent person at the table.  
"I thought only Hogwarts students took O.W.L.S.," Harry said, looking inquisitively at Mrs. Weasley.  
"No dear, O.W.L.S. are an international standard fifth year examination," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm sure they give them at Beauxbatons."  
Cordelia lifted her eyes from her letter and gave Mrs. Weasley a small smile. "I did well, thanks," she said, before rising from the table. She ran back up the stairs before anyone could utter another word.  
"I think that was an understatement," Ginny said under her breath as Mrs. Weasley left the room.  
"Why'd you say that?" Hermione asked, trying to hide the fact that she was still beaming at her letter.  
"Well, I saw her letter. Her O.W.L.S., that is, since she got a second letter that she didn't open. Anyways, she was taking all of the same courses that you had, except that she had chosen Muggle Studies and Arithmancy as her electives. She got all Outstanding, except for in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. She got Exceeds Expectations."  
"I should talk to her about Arithmancy," Hermione said at once. "I wonder how she managed that."  
"Probably by all that studying she does. I saw her opening her trunks, and she has enough books to fill a library. All she does in her room is read."  
"I bet she's reading up on how to torture-"was all Ron said before a blood-curdling scream filled the house. 


	10. A Day in Diagon Alley

Here's the new chapter! Thanks for reading you guys, I love the reviews! Let me know what you think, if you'd like, you can suggest some fics I should read...but anyway, on with the story!  
  
Chapter 10 A Day in Diagon Alley  
  
The rest of the summer was a blast for Harry. First of, the twins arrived to stay at headquarters for a weekend, and had caused Mrs. Wealsey to give one of the most awful screams anyone had ever heard after having seen George and Fred's faces plastered to the window in joke after Apparating. It had been too long since Harry had last seen them, and he was delighted to hear of the success of their joke shop. They in turn were intrigued by the arrival of Cordelia, and they shared the same view on her presence as Ron and Harry.  
"You haven't even talked to her," Hermione had said. "You can't say that you don't like her."  
"We haven't talked to Voldemort, Hermione. Does that mean we should give him a chance as well?"  
As the days wore on, Harry noticed that despite the changing day-to- day plans, Quidditch games, helping the twins with their latest pranks' formulas and such, Cordelia never once displayed any interest. On the contrary, she still kept her time locked away. The only change in this pattern was the trip to Diagon Alley.  
At Gringotts, as they visited the respective vaults, Harry noticed that each one contained a greatly increased amount of money. Harry instantly realized that he wasn't the only one who received gold from Sirius. The Weasleys vault was stacked with several piles that Harry knew were normally absent. In his vault, he also noticed an increase of gold stacks, as well as in Hermione's. Cordelia's vault, which of course he had never glimpsed, seemed to be teeming with gold. She had quickly, and silently moved to add some coins to her small bag before rushing the goblin to get the cart out of the tunnel. It was almost as though she was afraid of the money residing in her vault.  
The trip to Flourish and Blotts took a little longer. Locating the core curriculum books was not difficult, seeing as Hermione, Ron, Harry and Cordelia had all placed in the same required classes (Well, that is except for History of Magic, Potions and Astronomy. Thankfully, Ron and Harry had to drop Divination to make room for the additional period the new Defense Against the Dark Arts classes would take.). The difficulty really lied in collecting the numerous books for Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes. It took nearly an hour to locate the correct Arithmancy volumes (Arithmancy: Creating Magic with Numerical Theory, 3rd Edition, Volume 4, The Spell-bound Versions, Sections 1-4, Print and Practical Lessons, by Vara Blemarket) as well as collecting all of the tools and diagrams needed for Ancient Runes. After collecting new bottles of ink and quills, they were finally able to focus on the important things.  
"I want to go visit Fred and George's shop," Ron said, shifting his various supplies around in his arms. "They said to stop by and pick up a couple of things to try out at Hogwarts for them."  
"Sure," Harry said, grinning widely. "Still using the same audience to test on. So now they want us to be the pranksters of Hogwarts."  
"I need to get some new robes," Cordelia said quietly. "As well as make a stop at Quality Quidditch Supplies."  
Hermione and Ginny gave Cordelia small smiles. "We'll go with you."  
Leaving Ron and Harry standing with faces of disbelief, the three girls walked off in the direction of the robe shop. Ron tried to muster some air of defiance. "Well, it's their funeral," he said.  
Harry and Ron walked into the door of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Harry was immediately overwhelmed by the sight before him. There were shelves upon shelves of endless pranks, from Sneeze-inducing Quills to Papercut Parchment, rows and rows of trick sweets and Belligerent Broomsticks and endless pranks that Harry had heard them speak of. A smile curled on Harry's lips. The gold he had given to the twins had definitely done more in their hands. The shop was packed.  
"Harry, Ron!" Fred had seen them out of the corner of his eye. The counter was swamped with people of all ages and sizes trying to buy goods. "Oy, do you think you could give us a hand?"  
"Sure," Ron half-shouted over the noise. "What do you need?"  
George appeared from a back room carrying a stack of boxes two times his height. In a quick, fluid movement, he whipped out his wand and conjured up a second counter. He quickly replaced his wand before he could drop the boxes. "Could you work at the second counter until Lee comes? He's supposed to be here in a half-hour. Ron, show Harry what to do."  
Harry and Ron walked behind the counter and immediately half of the crowd that had formed around the first counter moved towards them.  
"So where's the register to ring everything up?" Harry asked, looking around.  
"What? You mean those funny little Muggle things that make those bell sounds when you want to buy something? No, Harry, just grab that quill and tell it what they want to buy."  
Five or so years ago, this would have been an odd command, but Harry obliged. He reached into a drawer and pulled out the solitary quill inside. To his mild surprise, the quill stood upright, seemingly waiting for something.  
"Ah, er, okay then. A bag of assorted Sickly Sweets, two Super-Stick Lollies, A Vanishing Leg Chair and four Twisted Mirrors," Harry said, looking at the items a kid had placed in front of him. Harry then looked at the face buying them.  
"Harry Potter!" Justin Finch Fletchly said a little loudly, causing a few looks to be thrown his way. "How's your summer been?"  
Harry grinned. "Can't complain. How 'bout you?"  
The afternoon pretty much followed his pattern. Most of the people Harry served were fellow Hogwarts students with whom he stopped to chat. Both Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas stopped by, and Harry could barely hold in his laughter when Dean asked Ron if Ginny was in Diagon Alley as well. In fact, the nasty looks the twins occasionally threw him for chatting too much didn't even upset him. It was great seeing his old friends again. Time flew quickly and Harry didn't want to leave the shop when it closed at six. Fred and George passed the prototype tricks onto Harry and Ron, along with some silver Sickles they said were for helping all day.  
"And tell Mum we'll stop by later tonight," Fred said as they were leaving.  
"That was great," Ron said, as they were walking towards the Leaky Caldron, where they would meet with the girls and Mrs. Weasley. "But now I'm going to have to worry about Dean and Seamus messing with my stuff. Did you see the bottle of Wheezie Wartz Seamus bought?"  
"Yah, I did," Harry said, grimacing slightly. "I told them to buy the bigger bottle."  
"That was actually pretty fun."  
"I agree, it was," a cheery voice said behind them.  
Harry and Ron turned to see that Hermione, Ginny and Cordelia had walked up right behind them. They were all smiling and laughing together, carrying large bags, but Cordelia appeared to be carrying the most, with bags from the robe shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies and Ollivanders.  
"I've gotten new robes for school, I got a new wand from Ollivanders, and look"- Cordelia drew a large, long box from the last bag- "I got a new broom."  
Two things blew Harry away. First, Harry couldn't help but notice that Cordelia had a nice smile. A REALLY nice smile. And it was nice to see her smile, rather than the melancholy expression she wore most of the time. Secondly, Cordelia had bought a Thunderbolt 3X, the fastest, newest broom there was. Aero-dynamic, patented new safety-breaking system, made of Bermuda cedar, and boasting unparalleled speed. Advertised as the first broom designed solely for the purpose of winning Quidditch matches, rather than just playing them. It was a broom made for serious players. Harry didn't even know that Cordelia played Quidditch. He realized that he didn't know anything about her. And suddenly Harry wanted to know everything about Cordelia, despite the fact that she might be the enemy.  
"What's your team?" Ron asked, his jaw still hanging in awe.  
Cordelia laughed softly. Her voice carried lightly in the air, like a hummed melody. "The Bermuda Bruisers. They're on their way to the Quidditch Cup this coming season. No one has better Chasers and Beaters in the world."  
Ron was about to argue, but Harry interrupted. "I didn't know you played Quidditch. What's your position?"  
Cordelia smiled at Harry warmly. With every passing second he was beginning to like that more and more. "Well," she began, "At Beauxbatons I was Seeker for my house. I really play everything though. But I'm probably best at"-  
"Chaser." Everyone turned around towards the unfortunately familiar voice. And there was Draco Malfoy, looking as calculating and critical as ever with the permanent sneer on his face.  
"Now I've got a question for you, dear cousin. What in the bloody hell are you doing with Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers?" 


	11. If You Can Call that Help

I'm glad you guys like the story...school just started for me, but I'm going to try to post regularly, like every other day or so. Thanks for reading!  
  
Chapter 11 If You Can Call that Help...  
  
Ron flashed Draco a disgusted look. "Why don't you go back to the slime you crawled out of, Malfoy. You're definitely not wanted here."  
Draco gave Ron an appraising look. "I'd have thought that all purebloods would come to their senses now that the Dark Lord has returned"- he sniveled- "But I suppose you just can't salvage rubbish." His look then turned toward Cordelia. "Which makes me wonder again, what are you doing with Mudbloods and traitors, Cordelia?"  
"Draco, why don't you just leave?" Hermione said defiantly, turning around. "You're rather eager to talk to your cousin, but it seems as though she doesn't have a word to say to you."  
Harry took in the whole situation carefully. Ron looked murderous and was only being restrained by the words Ginny was furiously muttering in his ear. Hermione was holding up herself well as always, but Cordelia was looking deathly pale.  
Even terrified.  
Malfoy ignored Hermione. "Mother and Father have been worried sick about you. They came looking for you after they heard about what happened at your home. They're your guardians, you know. As a matter of fact, here they come now, out of Firendel's Finest. Come along now." Malfoy grabbed Cordelia's arm and tugged her towards the two dark-robed figures immerging from the shop.  
Cordelia turned her head and looked towards the group, her eyes filled with something new. Terror. Harry saw the feeling welling up in her eyes and reached out to grab her. Malfoy was so surprised that he lost his grip and Cordelia whipped around in Harry's arms and was pulled close to his chest.  
"Thank you," she barely whispered, not moving. "Whatever you do, don't let me go with them."  
"Not with scum like that." Harry replied quietly.  
Malfoy's eyes narrowed viciously. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing, Potter?" Malfoy had pulled out his wand and was lifting it to eye level.  
"Yes, Potter, what exactly are you doing with Miss Lockwoode?" a cold voice sneered.  
Snape had come up behind them all. Harry noticed that he was carrying a small box no larger than a goblet in his hand. He also noticed that Cordelia gave what seemed like a small sigh of relief.  
"Potter, you have a minute to explain why you are restraining Miss Lockewood in such a violent manner, or you'll have higher authorities to report to."  
"I highly doubt that will be necessary," Narcissa Malfoy's high cool voice said. She and Draco's father had reached the group, who were standing close to the center of the alleyway. "Draco was about to hex the Potter boy here, and he grabbed Cordelia in order to shield himself. Cowardly, yes, but understandable for the boy."  
Lucius Malfoy stood next to his wife, grinning at Cordelia as if she were a newly won prize, some prey that they had been long searching for. "There is no need for this to escalade, Severus. We don't want Potter here to think that he is worth the trouble." His voice said one thing, but Harry knew from the glint in Lucius Malfoy's eyes that he thought Harry was worth the trouble, and would have spared no expense of doing him in if it weren't right in the middle of Diagon Alley. "I don't know how or why Cordelia is here, but as her cousins, we'll simply take her now. The rest of the information can be gathered later."  
Snape smiled as best as a slimy git could. "That would be fine, Lucius, expect that Miss Lockwoode is under my care at the moment."  
The Malfoys gave Snape a hard stare. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were finding bits of amusement in this confrontation. Cordelia had backed away from Harry, but his hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist.  
"How could that be?" Narcissa said coolly. "I was vaguely aware that you knew her, but you're not even of relation to her. How could she be in your custody?"  
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Madame Rousseau left her in my care until her 16th birthday. I'm surprised that you weren't made aware. It was my understanding that the information was passed on to you."  
"Well, it wasn't," Lucius said hotly.  
"You would have known had you attended my grandmum's funeral," Cordelia said quietly, in a matter-of-fact manner.  
Narcissa Malfoy smiled coldly. "You know that we were tied up, dear. We sent you lots of owls."  
"Interesting how eager you were to speak to me only after she died."  
"Well, we're here now, Cordie, dear."  
"My name is Cordelia. And unfortunately enough, being here now will not suffice. Your care"-she spat the word out- "is not needed at the moment. Harry saw the fear melt out of Cordelia's green eyes and turn to something harder, like black coal. It was odd how she had gone so quickly from being afraid of the Malfoys to visibly loathing them. Her eyes had lost their warmth and color. Harry had only seen eyes that dark when someone mentioned Peter around Sirius.  
"So you'd rather spend your time with filth like this?" Draco spat out, glaring at Harry.  
Cordelia suddenly looked suspiciously innocent. "No, I wouldn't, so thank you for informing me of exactly what they were. I didn't know who they were before hand. That's the last time I try to make friends here. Now they are just more people I have to avoid." Cordelia snapped free of Harry's grasp, turned her colorless eyes in his direction and sneered. Harry immediately glared back, kicking himself for even thinking that she was better than what he had first thought.  
"But make no mistake," she continued softly, looking at the Malfoys again, "that doesn't mean I want anything to do with you." She turned and looked at Snape. "Severus, I've collected everything that I need. Let's go."  
Snape nodded without another word. He seemed apathetic to everything that had just occurred.  
"Cordelia, you can't turn your back on us. We're family. We're in your blood. You have no choice to leave us," Narcissa spoke, her lips curling and eyes flashing like a demon.  
"Just watch me," she said, following Snape away from the group.  
  
Interesting that fear can turn to hatred so quickly...it may seem a little messy, but believe me, this fic won't be crystal clear. For one thing, everything is not as it appears. And Cordelia has the same nasty habit Harry does; bad things just seem to happen around them all the time! 


	12. A Quick Escape

I'm glad you guys like the story...school just started for me, and I'm trying to write this story and another novel or mine, plus sports and schoolwork. Bear with me!  
  
Chapter 12 A Quick Escape  
  
Left standing stupefied with the Malfoys, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Ron immediately walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. There they found Mrs. Weasley enjoying a tall goblet of some sparking red drink. She didn't seem surprised to hear that Cordelia had gone off with Snape. In fact, she seemed rather happy to hear that Professor Snape had been there.  
Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Ron were silent until they had reached Twelve Grimmauld Place. They spent the rest of their evening, and most of the night talking about the events that had occurred in Diagon Alley.  
"You know, we're not getting anywhere just making wild assumptions about Cordelia," Ginny said exasperatedly. "It's just like when we first met her."  
"Drop it, Ginny," Ron said. "It's clear whose side she's on. Did you see the way she looked at all of us? The way she looked at Harry when she spoke? That girl's darker than dark. She's probably Voldemort's special apprentice."  
"Ron's right," Harry jumped in. "She seemed more than eager to turn her back on us. That's the last chance she got with me."  
Ron nodded his head in agreement.  
"Oh stop! Both of you!" Hermione shouted suddenly. Everyone looked at her in awe. It was a rare thing that Hermione yelled anyone without reason. And this wasn't an exception.  
"You aren't paying attention to the important things. Firstly, she was scared when she saw the Malfoys. Really scared. I heard what she said to you, Harry. And believe me, she meant it."  
"What did she say to you, Harry?" Ron asked.  
"She told me not to let her go with the Malfoys under any circumstance." Harry replied, remembering the way Cordelia's body trembled when she spoke.  
"I don't care what you say, Ron. She wasn't faking that fear. Secondly, she went off with Snape when she had the opportunity to leave with the Malfoys. If she was really dark, she would have left with them."  
"Why didn't she just stay with us then?" Ron asked hotly.  
"Don't you get it?" Hermione said, still upset. "She was protecting herself, and us. She couldn't let on that she knew us. She's not supposed to know us. If her mum is a Death Eater, they must assume that she's dark as well. And since she isn't- and don't even try to say that she definitely is- being around us causes a lot of questions and problems."  
"That makes sense," Harry said slowly.  
"I suppose," Ron said, looking unsure.  
"On with other things," Hermione said, turning behind her and grabbing a box. "Happy Birthday, Harry!"  
Though it seemed entirely impossible, with all of the commotion of the past week, Harry had forgotten his own birthday. "I'm happy that someone remembered." Harry said, laughing.  
"Luckily for you, we did" Ginny said cheerfully. "Open mine first."  
Harry opened the medium sized box and discovered a bundle of sweet. Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, Fizzy Foaming Fruits (tiny sweeties that disintegrate into fruity, sugar foam in your mouth) and tons of other sweets that Harry loved.  
"Thanks Ginny!" he said, beaming.  
"Okay, mine next," Ron said, placing a rather large box in front of Harry.  
Harry ripped off the paper and discovered a box labeled Deluxe Firebolt Upgrade Kit. It contained broomstick polish, instructions on updating braking and acceleration systems, twig clippers/sharpeners, ways to update cushioning and maneuvering charms and a large volume called Classic Quidditch: From Quick Quaffles to Sneaky Snitches.  
"Wow, thanks Ron! This is great for my Firebolt."  
"And last, but not least, mine." Hermione was grinning.  
Harry unwrapped the first of two packages. It was a volume titled Defense and Capture: The Life of an Auror. The second package was a volume titled Olde Magic: Knowing What Others Don't.  
"I figured this was a good way for you to start the year," Hermione said.  
"It is," Harry replied, flipping through the book. "I can't wait to start them."  
The four of them headed downstairs, all in visibly good moods. Mrs. Weasley had baked a birthday cake for Harry, and to Harry's surprise, members of the Order had returned for the occasion as well. It was a great, loud celebration, and Harry went to sleep feeling happier than he had in months. As a matter of fact, he didn't even think about why the room across the hall was still empty.  
  
~~~~**~~~~**~~~~  
  
Harry awoke to the sound of something large crashing. And then the painful sqwak of some bird. And an angry voice.  
"What in the hell went on?" Angry voices rang out. "And where are you taking her?"  
"To Professor Dumbledore," a greasy voice replied. "His orders. It's no longer safe for her to stay here. He was quite insistent on getting her away as quickly as possible."  
"But I thought this possibility was taken well into account."  
"Something happened," a new voice said. "He must know more than we thought."  
"Albus said that it's imperative that she stay as far away from us as possible," the greasy voice Harry now recognized as Snape said. "And that's all I know, Remus."  
"She's just upstairs finishing her packing," Mrs. Weasley said. "I hope she'll be all right wherever she goes."  
"I'm sure she'll be fine Molly," Remus said reassuringly. "I just wish she'd tell us what she saw."  
Harry was getting out of his bed and moving toward the door when it suddenly opened. Cordelia walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She didn't seem surprised at all to see that Harry was awake.  
"Please don't be upset with me," she said softly, not looking at Harry.  
Harry's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing in here? Why shouldn't I? You're a perfect stranger who came here and began to cause trouble. You walk around like you've belonged here all along, probably telling all of your dark family and friends any little information about the Order that you can. Oh yes, and to top it off, you're Malfoy's cousin. There is nothing more I want to say to you, Cordelia. I think it would be better if you just left."  
There was a long pause. "I'm glad that you've vented," she said finally.  
"That's just the beginning."  
"When I said all of those things earlier, it was to protect us, you know."  
"How's that?"  
"It's complicated. I don't have enough time to explain."  
Harry laughed sarcastically. "What a convenient answer."  
Cordelia gave a tired sigh. Harry noticed how tired and weary she looked. Her face, which had glowed earlier in Diagon Alley, now seemed dark and weary. Her face was that of someone who knew things much too early, of someone bogged down by some greater force. He also noticed that she had silently begun to cry.  
"Dammit," he said gruffly.  
Cordelia wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay, you can still be mad at me. Be a stupid git, I don't care. I just wanted to apologize to you and say 'Happy Birthday'. So, I'm sorry for what I said, and how I acted earlier." She gave a quick sniffle. "And here's your birthday gift."  
Cordelia handed Harry a small book that looked like a journal. On the front in gold stencil were the letters HP in loopy script. Harry opened the book and discovered that it was filled with pictures. Pictures of himself, his parents, Sirius, Remus, and more people that he vaguely recognized, and some that he didn't. The album was similar to the one Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year. The only strange thing about the pictures was that they all seemed to glow with eerie silver light that made the movement within the picture ghost-like. Harry felt as though he could fall into the pictures. He could almost imagine being sucked into the pictures. As perplexing as all of his emotions were, it was an extraordinary gift.  
"Where did you get these?" He asked her, watching his mother waving while feeding what looked like a young version of himself.  
"They're mine," she said, smiling weakly. "Well, actually now they're yours, but I thought you'd like them. The best thing about them has to do with the glow. The pictures"-  
"Cordelia, let's go now!" A voice whispered loudly up the stairway.  
"I have to go now," she said to Harry. "I just didn't want to leave with you upset at me."  
Harry looked at her for a minute before deciding that despite what his mind told him, in his heart he couldn't be angry at her. The desperation in her eyes made it too hard. She confused him to no end, aggravated the hell out of him, and left him feeling unnaturally vulnerable, which Harry loathed. But none of it mattered at that moment. "I forgive you, Cordelia. And, thank you for the pictures."  
"You're welcome, Harry. I'll see you later."  
Harry took a step forward. "Um, send me an, uh, owl from where ever you are. You know, just to let me know you're okay."  
Cordelia smiled sadly. "I can't," she said softly. "But you'll know if something happens to me." And she closed the door, and left Harry with more questions to mull over. 


End file.
